


When A Black Cat Crosses Your Path

by scarletsaber (sushibunny)



Series: Makoharu Halloween [1]
Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Alternate Universe - Never Met, Familiar!Haru, Haru Doesn't Care, Haru Has Personal Space Issues in That He Doesn't Think Makoto Should Have Any, M/M, Makoto Didn't Ask For This, Witch!Makoto, silly fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-29
Updated: 2016-10-29
Packaged: 2018-08-27 17:48:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8410816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sushibunny/pseuds/scarletsaber
Summary: Makoto is just your average, secret-witch college student, who is late for class one morning when he finds his path blocked by a black cat. He is smart enough to know that the pretty kitty won't bring him any bad luck, no matter what its color. He has no idea what exactly the blue-eyed cat will bring, however.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you again to keepleaves for giving me a prompt for a Halloween drabble! I had a lot of fun with this one :)  
> (I wouldn't be opposed to adding more in this verse in the future if you guys enjoy!)

“Ah! I’m going to be so late!” Makoto mumbled to himself as he stumbled down the steps of his apartment, scrambling to remain upright and hold onto his stack of books at the same time.

He had spent far too much time that morning practicing the self-washing spell his mother had taught him before he left home for college. He had finally managed to get the sponge to move against the dirty dishes on its own, but he was still having problems with the rinsing off portion of the spell- as his third change of shirt that morning could attest.

Realistically, it would have been faster- and dryer- for him to wash his breakfast dishes the old fashioned, non-magical way, but Makoto was determined to get the spell right. He may not be the best witch- by far- and he was essentially a perpetually clumsy mess when it came to most spells, but he was a very committed- some would say stubborn- person and he stuck with things until he got them right; no matter how long it took.

Which was why he was currently late for class and racing down the sidewalk.

“If I can cut through the park maybe- ah!”

Makoto’s musings about a short cut were abruptly ended when he found the path in front of him suddenly blocked by a black cat, one who apparently refused to move as Makoto attempted to skid to a stop to avoid running into the creature, ultimately failing as he went head-over-heels down onto the cement.

Groaning as he pushed himself into a sitting position from his spot face down on the sidewalk, Makoto’s first instinct was to check on the cat who had caused his fall in the first place. As a magical being, Makoto knew better than most humans to blame the color of the cat for his tumble. Black cats were no more unlucky than any other; the stigma likely a result of their ancient association with human myths about witches combined with tall tales told over the centuries. Any bad luck Makoto had been experiencing lately was due to his own lack of magical skill and poor time management, not the unfortunate cat he had tripped over.

Thankfully the cat appeared unharmed, staring back at him from where it sat in the same spot on the sidewalk, completely unphased by the tall man that had just fallen over it.

“Ah, kitty, are you okay?” Makoto cooed, reaching out a hand to attempt to pet the cat before he flinched in pain. Pulling his hand back, he noted the scrape on his palm, a quick glance at the other hand revealing a matching mark. “Oh, shoot!” he grumbled, grimacing as a quick flex of his hands told him the injuries would make taking notes in class quite impossible.

Taking a surreptitious glance around, Makoto was glad to note the area was vacant, he and the cat being the only living creatures in sight. With a small sigh of relief, Makoto closed his eyes and cupped his hands together, a soft green glow appearing between them before fading away just as quickly. He smiled as he inspected his hands again, the skin knitted back together like new- the only sign of his fall a few smears of dirt, which he casually brushed off on his jeans.

He looked up to see the cat looking at his hands curiously, clearly intrigued by the odd display. “Healing magic is the only kind I’m really good at,” Makoto told the cat, smiling gently when the creature raised its eyes to his face. “But don’t tell anyone what you saw, okay? It’s a secret.” Makoto chuckled when the cat sneezed at him, as if to ask him who it could possibly tell about his status as a witch.

Makoto tilted his head in thought as he regarded the cat. Calling its color black now seemed like an understatement. Its fur had a deep sheen to it, the color so dark it almost felt like it was sucking in all the light around it. But the strangest thing by far were its eyes. They were a bright blue, the color of the ocean where Makoto had grown up, though this blue triggered no sense of fear and foreboding in him; only… intrigue.

“You’re a pretty kitty, aren’t you?”

The cat seemed unamused at his observation, ears folding back as it regarded the now healed hand he held out once more suspiciously. Still, like every other cat Makoto had ever met, it stayed unmoving, letting him pet it in a long stroke, head to tail. He continued the treatment, pleased when the cat’s body began to follow the motion of his hand, molding itself against him to get the best pet possible.

“Your eyes are really beautiful, kitty. Such a unique shade of blue…” Makoto laughed as the cat turned its head away at his compliment. He would swear if the cat was a human it would be blushing. “If I had had time to pack a lunch this morning, I would give you some,” he informed the cat, smiling softly as he gave it a scritch under the chin. His smile suddenly dropped however, eyes going wide as reality suddenly hit him again. “ _Time_! Ah! I’m _so_ late now!”

Makoto scrambled to gather his books from where they still lay strewn about the concrete, ignoring the sting he knew to be a skinned knee when he hurried to his feet; he would have to deal with that later. He glanced down at the cat who appeared to be pouting up at him, clearly displeased that its pets had been interrupted.

“Sorry, kitty! I have to go to class now! But I swear to bring you a treat when I get home tonight if you’re still around!” Makoto promised, balancing his books in his arms before taking off again down the sidewalk. “Fish, even!” he called back over his shoulder, pleased when the cat seemed to perk up at that.

As he rushed to class Makoto idly wondered about the strange cat. It had seemed like it understood him, more than just the usual cues cats picked up on- like it understood his actual words. Maybe he had a latent ability to speak to animals? He had read about that before. _It would be a nice power_ , he mused as he dodged pedestrians and cars alike on his route to school. _I hope I see that cat again…_

* * *

  

Makoto trudged home, utterly exhausted. It had been a long day for him; a full day of classes- including two exams, a trip to the library to gather research for a paper due next week, a trip to the secret magic section of the library only witches and other magical beings had access to to return a few spell books and borrow some more (including one on Zoolingualism- just in case), and a trip to the grocery store to do his weekly shopping.

All in all, Makoto was dead-tired. And that wasn’t even taking into consideration the magical drain using his powers had caused. Not only had he had to heal his hands and knee, but he also spelled the hole in his pants closed since poor college students couldn’t really afford new jeans at random, used a few rudimentary finding spells in the library to make his search faster, practiced- and mostly failed at- his levitation spell trying to carry around an ever-growing stack of books (literally; someone had bewitched one of the books he grabbed- there were about fifty copies before he managed to reverse the spell), and the ever-tiring magical lock at the library he had to overcome before he could even access the restricted area. He swore whoever was in charge of that particular lock was a sadist; it seemed to get more difficult and require more magical exertion every time he visited. And all of that was of course on top of his repeated attempts at magical dishwashing from that morning.

So when he turned onto his street he was surprised and momentarily confused when a streak of black darted out of the shadows and stopped in front of him. It took him a few moments to recognize the piercing blue eyes staring up at him intently, and when he did he felt oddly guilty for forgetting in the first place.

“Evening, kitty,” he said, moving to crouch down and pet the cat before he realized the stack of books and multiple bags he was holding would make that feat difficult. He straightened back up and gave the cat an apologetic smile. “Ah, I promised you a treat, didn’t I? Well, follow me then.”

Makoto wasn’t surprised to find the cat hot on his heels as he finished the trek to his apartment, thankfully making it up the stairs without the cat finding its way between his legs. It took him a minute to balance everything in his arms and fish his keys from his pocket, but he eventually managed to fit the key in the lock- too tired to even think about unlocking the door magically.

“Ah, sorry, but you’ll have to stay out here- hey!”

The cat was clearly undeterred by Makoto’s protest as it slipped inside his apartment as soon as the door cracked open. Hurrying in after, Makoto was somewhat bemused to find the cat perched regally on top of his kitchen counter as if it belonged there, watching him with a look that seemed to wonder what was taking him so long.

Makoto sighed, not having the energy to deal with an apparently very stubborn cat. “Alright, fine. But you can’t stay here forever, you know. I’m not really supposed to have pets.”

The cat huffed at him before turning away to groom itself, clearly choosing to ignore him.

 _I’m getting attitude from strays now, great_. He heaved another sigh before walking further into the one room apartment and placing his books on the table in his living/dining/bedroom. Once satisfied the stack wouldn’t topple over, he moved back into the tiny kitchen to put away his groceries, which seemed to catch the cat’s attention again.

“Sorry I’m not a very good cook,” Makoto told the cat as he unpacked, moving about the small space. “But I did pick up some cans of mackerel, how does that sound?”

He wasn’t really sure why he was talking to the cat, it wasn’t like it had ever answered him. He wasn’t even sure if the cat could understand him, maybe that morning had just been a fluke. Anyone watching him would probably think he was crazy. But then again people talked to their pets all the time, right? It was normal, wasn’t it? Not that the cat was his pet or anything- it would have to go back outside after dinner, or else he risked upsetting his landlord (plus he really had no idea how to get cat pee out of tatami, and he really didn’t want to have to find out).

Brushing aside those thoughts, Makoto set about making his own dinner- some instant ramen he had gotten at the store. He put the tea kettle on to heat some water before grabbing a can of mackerel and a can opener from the drawer. The cat seemed to be looking at him in distaste, as if it was judging his dinner choices. But that was just silly.

“Not all of us can be great cooks,” he said defensively as he worked open the metal lid. “And don’t even suggest magic. I can’t even manage to scrub a pot with it, I don’t want to think about how trying to cook would go.”

The cat seemed to agree with him as a shudder ran through it, fur twitching along its spine. Though maybe it was just excited at the prospect of food, as its ears twitched up as the lid finally came off, the smell of fish filling the kitchen.

“Alright, alright, here you go,” Makoto said, placing the can on the counter after the cat had wound itself around his outstretched arm a few times in an effort to get him to put the food down faster. He grinned as the cat practically inhaled the canned fish, though his smile dropped as he thought about the speed at which it continued to eat. _I wonder when the last time it ate was,_ he thought sadly, reaching down to stroke the poor thing, surprised when he received a rumbling purr in return. “Eat all you like.”

He stood there petting the content cat, happily watching it eat until the kettle whistled and he moved to pour the hot water over his ramen. Makoto leaned back against the counter next to the cat as he ate, enjoying the idea of sharing a meal with someone, even if it was only a stray cat. He missed his family. Living on his own was a far cry from the home he had shared with his parents and younger siblings.

“Mm, all finished then?” he asked as the cat brushed up against his arm, rubbing its head against his shoulder. He quickly finished his own meal before disposing of the trash, turning to find the cat sitting primly on the counter, staring at him. “Well… I guess you can stay for a bit longer. It is getting colder out.”

The cat seemed to accept his answer, jumping gracefully down and padding off into the rest of the apartment.

Makoto lost track of it after awhile- not that he was paying it much attention, too wrapped up in his homework to really notice how the cat wandered his apartment, taking stock of every nook and cranny and interesting scent it could find. It was getting late when Makoto finally came back to reality, yawning deeply and stretching his back as he put his books back in order for the morning. _Ah, but no school tomorrow_ , he reminded himself, smiling softly as he stood, intent on taking a relaxing bath before bed. He rarely had time for more than a shower most days, but he decided today he could really use one.

He finally remembered the cat was still in his apartment as he sat on the small stool in the bathroom, rinsing the soap from his body with the shower head when he heard a splash come from the still filling tub behind him. His head whipped around, eyes wide and afraid that he would find a drowned cat when his jaw dropped at the sight before him. The black cat was happily paddling around the small tub, seeming infinitely pleased with itself.

“...You are a bit odd, aren’t you?” Makoto found himself asking the cat as he stood to turn off the tap. He received a deep blue glare in reply and quickly felt the need to backtrack on his words. “Eh, not that that’s a bad thing!” he said defensively, holding his hands up in a placating gesture before he remembered he was talking to a cat.

Hanging his head in defeat- and a bit of shame- Makoto debated getting in the tub after all. He really didn’t fancy bathing in cat hair, but a closer inspection of the water showed it appeared hair-free. Hesitantly, Makoto lowered himself into the tub, warily eyeing the cat who had stopped paddling at the other end. He wanted to kick himself for acting so strange- it was just a cat! But those intelligent eyes spoke of something more, though he couldn’t put his finger on what.

That thought was wiped from his mind, however, as the cat abruptly sloshed forward, and Makoto suddenly had a lap full of wet cat.

“Hey! Is this really necessary?!”

The cat stared up at him unblinkingly as it settled up against his chest and began to purr.

“Fine,” he sighed, letting himself settle into a more comfortable position in the tub, water up to his chest. Most of the cat was submerged, but it didn’t seem to mind, its purring a constant vibration against Makoto’s bare skin. It was comforting, actually, and Makoto found he quite enjoyed having a bathing companion- this one anyway; the last time he had gotten in the bath with the twins had been less relaxing and more… rambunctious.

He lost track of time, relaxing in the bath, and Makoto suspected he would have fallen asleep too if it weren’t for the cat deciding to start kneading at his chest.

“Hah! Is this your way of saying you want to get out?” he asked, hands fumbling to keep the claws away from his skin. The cat seemed to give him a displeased look. “Well, we should get out anyway, the water’s gone cold.”

Makoto took a firm hold of the cat in his arms- trusting his innate affinity with cats to keep him from being clawed up- and stood from the tub, grabbing a towel for the cat and wrapping it up before setting it on top of the sink so he could dry it off. The cat seemed not to be much of a fan of that, staring blankly ahead, ears back, as Makoto rubbed the towel all over its wet fur. When he was satisfied he grabbed a towel for himself, drying off before walking out into the other room to grab some briefs and a t shirt to sleep in.

He was unsurprised when the cat followed, watching him carefully as he unfolded his futon, and promptly curling up in the middle of it as soon as Makoto draped the blanket over it.

“...I’m not getting rid of you tonight, am I?” he asked rhetorically- both because the cat wouldn’t answer and he knew what the response would be anyway.

Makoto just shook his head, giving the cat a fond smile before he turned off the light and crawled into bed himself, chuckling softly when the cat huffed as his movements jostled it. He was vaguely surprised when it moved to lay in the curve his body made when he turned on his side, though he was secretly pleased that the cat seemed so attached to him already.

“Good night, kitty… I should probably name you, huh?” he whispered, not really needing to since it was only the two of them, but feeling odd at the idea of speaking loudly in the dark room. He could see the cat’s eyes glowing up at him in the dark, the dim light coming through the windows making them seem to glow a soft blue. “Hmm… How about… Haruka?” he asked, not knowing why that name suddenly came to him, but somehow knowing it was right. _It works for both a boy and girl, that’s why,_ he reasoned.

The cat seemed pleased with the name, burrowing its face against his chest and purring. Makoto smiled, lifting an arm out from the warm blankets to stroke down the sleek, damp fur.

“Good night then, Haru-chan.”

The cat nibbled at a finger in warning, and Makoto chuckled at the act of rebellion. “Haha, okay, okay! Sorry _Haru_.” The cat resumed its purring and Makoto his petting, and the two fell asleep like that a short time later.

* * *

 

Morning light was drifting through his curtains when Makoto began to wake. There was a heavy weight on his chest and the scent of clean water and fish filled his nose. It was quite an odd thing for him to experience first thing in the morning, and his eyes fluttered open as confusion filled his mind.

It took a few seconds for his vision to clear, and then another few before his brain registered what his eyes were seeing. There, laying on top of his chest, was a black mound of hair. He almost dismissed it, recalling the cat- Haru- from last night. But then the size of the mound became more clear to his sleep-hazed mind, and Makoto realized that it was not the body of a cat lying on top of him, but the head of a human- probably an adult male judging by the size and length of hair. Before he could run away with that crazy idea, he decided to make sure, tilting his head and finding that, sure enough, the warm feeling pressing against his side was indeed the body of the man resting on top of his chest; the _naked_ body.

And that was when Makoto screamed.

The other man jolted awake, body moving fluidly into a four-limped crouch, head whipping around as he sought the source of his rude awakening. His piercing blue eyes finally landed on Makoto, who was looking at him open mouthed and wide eyed in utter shock. The man seemed to relax when he saw him, sitting back on his heels and staring back at Makoto with a tilt of his head, as if all of this were somehow normal.

“W-who are you?! What are you doing in my apartment?! Why are you _n-naked_?!” The stream of questions left Makoto’s mouth before he could think better of it, though he wasn’t sure what else he should be doing when faced with a strange nude man in his bed.

The stranger huffed, blowing out air hard enough to cause his bangs to fly up in response, the movement drawing Makoto’s gaze to the man’s eyes. Eyes that were a shockingly familiar shade of blue. Eyes in which the constricted pupils looked oddly slit-like.

“You invited me in,” a soft and somewhat annoyed-sounding voice said, and Makoto’s eyes darted down to thin pink lips. “And you should know my name, you gave it to me.”

Makoto stared at him incredulously for a moment before letting his imagination get the better of him. “... _Haruka_?”

“Mm.”

Makoto started at that, not actually expecting the man to go along with his crazy hunch. “But- but that’s impossible! Haru is a _cat_!”

The man shook his head. “Not a cat. A familiar.”

He felt his mouth drop open in shock for the second time that morning. “A f-familiar? But- wha- how- _why_ are you here?”

“I told you, you invited me.”

Makoto knew what familiars were- he was a witch, of course he did. Magical spirits- some called them demons- bound to a witch by contract, servants or assistants sworn to help them for as long as the deal lasted- which was usually at the will of the familiar. But he also knew that they were rare, only the most powerful or special witches had them. And it was usually difficult to summon them, requiring a lot of magic and skill (and a fair amount of luck). And Makoto knew he fit none of those requirements, and he certainly hadn’t tried to summon one! He told the man as much, receiving an annoyed look in return.

“That’s not the only way it works,” he informed Makoto, sharp eyes feeling like they were staring deep into Makoto’s soul; for all he knew the man was. “We choose our masters too. And I chose you.”

“M-me? Why would you choose me?” Makoto asked incredulously, forgetting for a moment that this man- Haru, apparently- was still naked in his bed.

Haru sighed, as if he found the entire conversation exhausting. “Because you were kind. And you fulfilled your promise.”

Makoto gave him a confused look before Haru’s words suddenly clicked in his mind. His first meeting with Haru in the morning and how he had promised him fish, and then how he had come back that night and given the cat just that. “Alright,” he admitted slowly, looking down at his fingers as they fidgeted in his lap. “But doesn’t there need to be a contract? Why are you still here- not that I mind!”

Haru gave him a small smirk, just a tiny curl of the corner of one side of his mouth, but for some reason it relayed a large amount of amusement to Makoto. “There was one. The mackerel.”

Makoto stared blankly at him for a moment before covering his face with his hands and groaning in realization. _Of course! I gave him a gift and he accepted it! That’s basic magical creature contracting, Makoto!_ In the midst of his mental chastisement, he recalled the rest of their night together; particularly their _bath_ together. _Oh god, I bathed with this guy!_ Naked _! And I let him sit on my- How embarrassing!_ Makoto was glad his hands were covering his face already- it saved him the effort of trying to cover up the intense blush spreading across his face.

“...Mackerel is my favorite,” Haru offered quietly, looking to the side and refusing to meet Makoto’s eyes when he finally peeked out between his fingers.

“I-I’m glad,” Makoto said, offering Haru a tentative smile as he dropped his hands back to his lap. “So… Uh, what now?” he asked, feeling at an utter loss. What was he supposed to do with a familiar?

“Whatever you want.” Haru shrugged, staring at him intently for a long moment. Then he moved to stretch on his hands and knees, arching his back like a cat- which Makoto supposed he kind of was (he wasn’t exactly sure how that all worked).

He tried to tear his eyes away from the sight- Haru was still naked, after all- but something he hadn’t noticed before caught his attention. Haru- Haru had a _tail_. And cat ears. He had been too freaked out to notice before, but it was painfully obvious now. Haru was clearly not human, and Makoto felt very silly for ever thinking he was.

“Um, well, I-I never expected to have a familiar,” he stuttered, wringing his hands nervously. “I don’t really know what I’m supposed to do? What do you need from me?”

Haru finished his stretching, settling back down on the blankets next to Makoto, sprawling out like a lazy cat. Except he looked like a human (mostly). A very naked human. He opened his mouth to answer but Makoto cut him off, unable to stand it any longer.

“Um! Can you, uh, can you please put on some clothes if you’re going to be in that form?!”

Makoto received an eyeroll for his trouble, but Haru acquiesced, grabbing a t shirt from a nearby drawer and pulling it over his head. It was big on him, his body frame being slightly smaller than Makoto’s, and he must have been a bit shorter too, as the orange and yellow shirt came down to his mid thighs. He seemed satisfied with it though, a pleased look crossing his face before it returned to its neutral expression.

“Better?”

 _Well, I would prefer some pants too, but I’ll take what I can get!_ “Yes, thank you, Haru.”

Haru hummed in reply, though he seemed pleased, moving to curl back up against Makoto’s side as he had been while they slept. A tinge of color crept along Makoto’s cheeks but he did his best to ignore it. He didn’t understand the warmth he felt in the pit of his stomach as Haru pressed closer to him, but he decided it was probably best he didn’t think too deeply about it at the moment.

“So, you were saying…?” Makoto asked, trying to steer them back in a productive direction.

“Mmm… Part of maintaining our bond requires you to share your energy with me. To keep our connection strong.”

Makoto flushed red at that. He remembered reading about some… questionable ways in which creatures transferred energy, and he was almost afraid to ask how it worked with familiars. “Uh, how do you, er, do that?”

Haru looked up at him, blue eyes narrowing slightly as he scanned Makoto’s face. “...There are many ways. I prefer this one.”

Before Makoto could question him further, Haru was suddenly in his face, eyes brighter than usual- seeming to glow even in the well lit room- and then Haru’s lips were on his, and Makoto gasped at the feeling of warmth and the tingling that accompanied the soft pressure. Then the warm feeling grew and he felt a burst of magic wash over him before he felt some of his energy being drained. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling; it reminded him of falling asleep in a warm bath.

It soon ended, Haru pulling back, eyes now glowing a gentle green- the color Makoto recognized as his own magic- before it faded back to the usual deep blue. Makoto wouldn’t admit to anyone- even himself- that he hoped Haru would need him to share his energy fairly often.

“S-so that’s how we have to do it?” Makoto asked hazily, eyes half lidded and still feeling warm all over from the transfer.

“Mm.” Haru tucked his head under Makoto’s chin and settled against him. “You should rest now. It can be very draining until you’re used to it.”

“Okay, Haru-chan,” Makoto mumbled, turning onto his side and unconsciously pulling Haru closer to him after throwing the blanket over Haru as well.

“Drop the -chan,” Haru huffed against Makoto’s neck, cheeks going pink as Makoto’s arm squeezed him around his waist.

Makoto only hummed into his hair, quickly falling back asleep, new familiar wrapped in his arms. His last conscious thoughts were about black cats. He certainly hadn’t expected meeting Haru to bring him bad luck, but who knew the cat would turn out to bring him good instead?

* * *

 

Haru felt Makoto fall asleep and finally allowed himself a moment to pull back and fully observe his new witch. He was quite handsome as far as human-like creatures went- he was also more attractive than a lot of the fae Haru had run into over the years. And Makoto was certainly the kindest person Haru had ever met; sweet and gentle to what he thought was just a random stray cat- even putting up with Haru’s eccentric love of water.

Yes, he had certainly picked a good master this time.

Haru brushed soft brown hair away from Makoto’s eyes before he trailed his fingers down his face, pausing to skim over rosy lips. His fingers lingered for a few moments- warmth filling his chest- before he reluctantly drew them back, moving to lay down against his witch and sleep as well, a gentle purr leaving him as he began to doze.

He didn’t need to receive binding energy via a kiss; there were many ways he could do it, even by a simple touch of the hands.

But Makoto didn’t need to know that.


End file.
